Sortie Audio Pcm Ou Dolby Digital

Introduction To The PCM vs Bitstream Discussion

In this update, we tin can certify that for the users, in that location is practically no noticeable departure in quality between PCM and Bitstream (1) (2). We will discuss below the evidence that we take to demonstrate it (iii) (4). Likewise, we volition also mention a few cases where the PCM vs Bitstream discussion has relevance (v) (6) and yous should care about it (7) (8).

Players (we include Blu-ray players or any kind of thespian) have various options for audio and video output settings, depending on how the histrion is physically continued to the AV receiver (10).

If you lot accept your player connected to the AV receiver via HDMI, there are 2 primary audio output settings available: Bitstream and PCM (nine).

In terms of the actual audio quality, whether you have the audio output configured via HDMI to PCM or Bitstream is not of import (eleven).

In terms of the bodily sound quality, whether you have the audio output configured via HDMI to PCM or Bitstream is not important.

For sound, if you connect your Blu-ray Disc actor to your home theater receiver via HDMI, there are two main audio output settings available: Bitstream and PCM (similar to LPCM, but non the same affair). In terms of actual audio quality, it does non matter if the HDMI sound output from your Blu-ray Disc thespian is set to PCM or Bitstream.

IN THE UPPER LEFT OF THE Movie, Meet THE PCM VS BITSTREAM OPTION.

PCM gets the audio direct from your console without having to go through a home theater to become it right. For me, PCM is for those who do not utilize speakers or play with headphones. This is my personal view and I do non take actual bear witness retrieved.

Without speakers, the DTS and Dolby option will sound looser than PCM losing quality in the volume and smaller sounds.

When it comes to setting upwardly an audio system, in the discussion PCM vs Bitstream, people often misfile LPCM and PCM with Bitstream. Others withal do non know which option to choose or which is all-time for them.

PCM Vs Bitstream: The Bottom Line

For sound, if you connect a device (Blu-ray Disc player, Ultra Hard disk Blu-ray disc players or other similar devices) to a dwelling house theater receiver via HDMI, there are two principal sound output settings available: Bitstream vsPCM (which is like, just non equal, to LPCM).

In terms of sound quality, whether you lot set the device (Blu-ray Disc player or another device) HDMI audio output PCM or Bitstream does not matter, by and large speaking. Even so, here is what happens when you choose either setting.

If you ready the Blu-ray Disc player to output audio as PCM, the player performs the audio decoding of all Dolby/Dolby TrueHD and DTS/DTS-HD Chief Audio related soundtracks internally. And then, it sends the decoded sound signal in an uncompressed form to the dwelling theater receiver.

I accept checked the setting on the Pioneer Kuro, my favorite 1080p Telly, that we reviewed in this article, and the sound output is set to Dolby Digital (PCM is the other choice). Information technology southward available also in 720p devices.

Equally a issue, the dwelling house theater receiver will non perform additional audio decoding earlier the audio is sent through the amplifier section and the speakers. With this option, the home theater receiver displays the term PCM or LPCM on its front panel display.

If y'all plan to use the secondary audio characteristic, which provides access to audio commentaries, descriptive sound, and supplementary audio tracks, use PCM. When access to these sound programs is important to yous, set the Blu-ray actor to PCM to provide the all-time quality result. The player decodes the audio, without bandwidth business, which is an consequence for bitstream.

For digital optical and coaxial connections, while the bitstream output option can send a standard Dolby Digital or DTS 5.1 surroundings sound signal to a receiver for decoding, the PCM option sends a 2-channel indicate. A digital optical or digital coaxial cablevision does non have sufficient bandwidth capacity to transfer a decoded, uncompressed, full surround sound point like an HDMI connection can.

If you select Bitstream as the HDMI sound output setting for a Blu-ray role player, the player bypasses its internal Dolby and DTS audio decoders and sends the undecoded signal to your HDMI-continued abode theater receiver. The home theater receiver does the audio decoding of the incoming signal. As a result, the receiver will display Dolby, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD Primary Audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS:Ten, or another format on its front panel display depending on which type of bitstream point is decoded.

If you combine the bitstream and secondary audio settings, the Blu-ray Disc role player volition down-res surround formats, such equally Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD, to standard Dolby Digital or DTS to squeeze both types of sound signals into the same bitstream bandwidth. In this case, the dwelling theater receiver recognizes the betoken as standard Dolby Digital and decodes accordingly.

Divergence Between PCM And Bitstream At A Glance

The departure between PCM and Bitstream is in regards to the device utilized for decoding the compressed format to think the uncompressed PCM data. If you utilise Bitstream, and so the AV receiver is performing the decode. PCM is not amend than Bitstream format in terms of quality. The Bitstream package is where the PCM data was sourced from.

Aside from sound quality, there is ane reason to prefer sending PCM over Bitstream—secondary audio. On nearly Blu-rays, in that location are audio elements in addition to the chief soundtrack—specifically, the audio that accompanies PIP (picture-in-picture) commentaries and the sounds that onscreen buttons make when you click on them. If y'all set the player to send Bitstream, you will not hear this secondary audio, but if you ready it to transport PCM, the secondary sound is mixed with the master soundtrack so you tin hear information technology.

PCM Pros And Cons

Better quality access to boosted sound tracks.
Quicker, straight, and eliminates lag.
Less work for the receiver.
Decoding is done in the player (Blu-ray player or any player device).

PCM transmits a two-channel signal over digital optical or coaxial.
Audio quality is partially determined by the player (Blu-ray thespian or any player).
More work is done by the player.

Bitstream Pros And Cons

Bitstream sends an encoded 5.one signal over digital optical or coaxial.
Possibility of higher quality sound.
If the receiver offers higher quality audio processing, it can be used.
The home receiver decodes sound.

Supplemental audio is scaled down, which decreases quality.
It requires a loftier-quality receiver to accomplish better results.
More piece of work is placed on the receiver.

The PCM Option

The pic in a higher place is for the settings of the Devialet Phantom Gold speakers that nosotros reviewed here. The setting is also applicable for the Phantom Silvery.

To go on with this PCM vs Bitstream discussion, let´s meet a applied setting in PCM.

If you set up your Blu-ray Disc player to output audio equally PCM, the player will perform audio decoding of all Dolby/Dolby TrueHD and DTS/DTS-Hard disk Master Sound related soundtracks internally and send the decoded audio signal in uncompressed course to the dwelling theater receiver.

As a effect, your home theater receiver will not have to practice whatsoever additional sound decoding before the sound is sent through the amplifier and speaker section. With this choice, your home theater receiver will display "PCM" or "LPCM" on the front panel brandish.

This ways that if you set the sound output of your Blu-ray player to PCM, the histrion will decode the audio of all Dolby/Dolby TrueHD and DTS/DTS-HD Master Audio formats – from the internally related soundtracks and send the audio betoken in an uncompressed form to the AV receiver in your habitation theater.

As a upshot, the AV receiver will non have to perform any additional audio decoding before it is sent to the amplifier section and speakers.

This blazon of connection is bachelor on nearly CD players.

With this option, the domicile theater receiver will display the PCM term on its front panel display.

The Bitstream Selection

If y'all select Bitstream equally your HDMI audio output setting from your Blu-ray player, the player will featherbed its internal Dolby and DTS sound decoder and send the signal without decoding to the AV receiver connected to the HDMI.

And so, if the user decides to use Bitstream equally the HDMI audio output setting for their Blu-ray histrion, the player will bypass its ain internal Dolby and DTS audio decoders and send the signal without decoding to their HDMI-connected dwelling theater receiver. The home theater receiver volition do all the audio decoding of the incoming indicate. As a result, the receiver will brandish Dolby, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-Hd Master Audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, etc…on its front panel display, depending on the type of bitstream signal being decoded.

With this setting, the AV receiver volition do all the sound decoding of the incoming point.

As a result, in this case, the AV receiver volition display on its main display the tags Dolby, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-Hd Principal Audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS:10, etc… depending on what blazon of Bitstream signal is being decoded.

Information technology should exist noted that the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround formats are only available from a Blu-Ray player via the Bitstream option. There is currently no Blu-ray player that tin decode these formats internally for PCM and pass them on to the Dwelling Theater receiver, which in part finishes this PCM vs Bitstream confrontation.

Yous have the option to choose which blazon of setting to apply (PCM vs Bitstream), and as mentioned above, each setting should produce the same audio quality, taking into business relationship the exceptions of Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

Setting the Secondary Audio

SETTING THE SECONDARY AUDIO

There is another factor to consider for this PCM vs Bitstream written report: Secondary Audio. This part provides access to audio comments, descriptive audio or other supplementary audio tracks. If admission to these audio programs is of import to you lot, keeping your Blu-ray role player set up to PCM will provide the best quality result. This means that an additional setting option that may be bachelor on your Blu-ray player is "BD-Secondary Audio".

If yous combine the bitstream and secondary audio settings, the Blu-ray Disc player volition "downstream" the surround sound formats, such as Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD, to standard Dolby Digital or DTS so that both types of sound signals can be compressed into the aforementioned bitstream bandwidth. In this case, your home theater receiver will recognize the signal as Dolby Digital standard and decode it properly.

Therefore, using this setting the user combines the primary high-resolution audio signal (Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio) with the secondary audio signal – nevertheless, if yous use this setting, the Blu-ray player volition lower the resolution from Dolby TrueHD or DTS-Hard disk drive to Dolby Digital standard or DTS in order to exist able to input both types of audio signals in the same bitstream.

HDMI vs. Digital Optical/Coaxial Connections

After you determine the audio settings y'all want to utilise to transfer sound from your Blu-ray actor to the rest of your home theater system, you must besides make up one's mind what type of connections to utilize. And so afterward you can make up one's mind which sound settings y'all want to utilize to transfer audio from your Blu-ray Disc role player to the rest of your home theater organisation, you must also decide what type of connections you need to utilize.

If you use either the coaxial or optical digital connexion option of your Blu-ray actor to your home theater receiver (very useful if your AV receiver does not have HDMI connections), you can as well select the PCM vs Bitstream output options for those connections.

Even so, in this case, while the Bitstream output selection can send a Dolby Digital or DTS v.1 surround sound point to your receiver for later decoding, the PCM option will but transport a ii-channel signal.

The reason for this is that the optical digital cable or coaxial cable does not take sufficient bandwidth capacity to transfer a decoded, uncompressed, full environs sound signal, as the HDMI connection can.

If you are using the optical digital or coaxial digital connection choice from your Blu-ray Disc role player to your abode theater receiver (useful if your habitation theater receiver does non have HDMI connections), y'all can also select PCM vs Bitstream output options for those connections.

Withal, in this example, whereas the Bitstream output option can ship a standard Dolby Digital or DTS five.i surround sound betoken to your receiver for subsequently decoding, the PCM selection volition but transport a two-aqueduct bespeak. The reason for this is that a digital optical or coaxial digital cable does not have sufficient bandwidth capacity to transfer a decoded, uncompressed, fully surround sound signal as an HDMI connexion can.

Information technology should too exist noted that optical/coaxial digital cables cannot transfer Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio every bit a bitstream or PCM – HDMI is required.

Although the above word focuses on PCM vs Bitstream with respect to Blu-ray Disc players, the same data may likewise apply to Ultra Hard disk drive Blu-ray Disc players.

Similarities Betwixt Bitstream And PCM

While Bitstream and PCM are very different, these two configurations are very similar when applied in audio production. Here are several similarities to consider when choosing which is the best pick for you lot:

Both have great sound quality
You lot tin can play both Bitstream and PCM files on virtually DVD and Blu-Ray players.
Both signals must be converted into analog class to exist heard through the speakers.

PCM and Bitstream: Main Differences

PCM (pulse lawmaking modulation) is the "raw" indicate generated by the Advertizing converter. This ways that the signal is not additionally source-coded by, for example, DTS or Dolby Digital, and is therefore not converted.
As PCM, your point is pure and usually in the highest quality. It takes up a lot of space but sounds very good.
There are likewise formats such every bit Dolby Digital or DTS where the signal is (source-)encoded. In these two examples, the encoding is washed with a loss of quality.
However, there are likewise lossless compression methods such as DTS-HD Master Audio or Dolby TrueHD.
These formats are transmitted in so-chosen bitstreams. Here you can choose whether, for case, your Bluray histrion or your AV receiver should do the decoding piece of work. Note: If your receiver takes over the decoding, the corresponding logo usually appears on the display.
The advantage of this is that the audio runway tin be compressed and stored on your Bluray, simply yous still get the highest quality in the terminate. Considering the pure PCM bespeak can exist recovered from the DTS-HD Principal Sound track.
The disadvantage of this is that your receiver must likewise support this decoding procedure. In this instance, you lot can just let your player decode the betoken and output it as PCM and not as bitstream.
This also means that your receiver does not necessarily accept to back up the new Hard disk drive formats to play you back in full quality.

Which Option Is More Convenient For You lot

Even so, in that location is another factor to consider as to which setting may be best for you to determine in this word PCM vs Bitstream.

This involves access to secondary soundtracks, such as audio commentary, descriptive audio, or other supplementary audio tracks.

If access to these audio features is of import to y'all so keep your Blu-ray actor configured with the PCM audio output option that would be the all-time selection for you.

Alternatively, you tin can ever switch from PCM to Bitstream at any time by going to the appropriate settings carte du jour.

Last Verdict: PCM Vs Bitstream

While sound signals are produced differently in both cases, there is no audible deviation between Bitstream and PCM files. Nevertheless, the Bitstream files are encoded to requite you a environment sound feel when used with a uniform media player.

On the other hand, most audio players only support the PCM format while transmitting sound. That ways you should check the compatibility of your device when choosing between the two.

HDMI is easily the best pick for output. However, if you lot utilize either digital or optical coaxial outputs, Bitstream is the clear winner. Digital optical and coaxial connections suffer from limited bandwidth and can't transfer a fully-processed and decoded signal. Because bitstream relies on the receiver for decoding, it'south platonic for limited bandwidth situations.

There are a number of factors that should become into your pick, including the quality of your Blu-ray player and audio receiver. Generally, you will desire Bitstream. The potential for greater sound quality and the flexibility to use coaxial outputs puts information technology ahead of PCM.

The only situation where PCM comes out on summit is when using secondary sound streams. If you practise non program on doing this, and your receiver is not severely lacking in quality, become for Bitstream.

What is PCM: Pulse Code Modulation

PCM is an algorithm for representing an analog wave digitally and has been around since the starting time of the 1900s. This is not the just algorithm out there, there's pulse width modulation, pulse position, pulse density, delta-sigma (which is used with DSD), and others but PCM is by far the standard (for audio). PCM itself comes in a couple of flavors, regular PCM where quantization levels is a function of amplitude and LPCM where quantization levels are uniformly linear (hence linear pulse code modulation).

Since PCM is an algorithm, compressed/noncompressed doesn't make whatsoever sense from a technical standpoint, it takes an input and gives you an output and doesn't care what the data is.

Because this is the standard (for audio), pretty much everything uses it AVR, pre/pro, stereo receiver, sound cards/onboard sound, pretty much everything that deals with converting digital to sound (and audio to digital) uses PCM at the bottom of the chain.

But similar a lot of things, it takes on new meanings though it is not necessarily correct in the strictest sense, in this instance many people also include the digital output as but "PCM" also.

Well, it is simply a data file you lot can call information technology PCM information file simply when information technology is just referred to as PCM misunderstandings happen (and the matter yous take to understand is that going from analog to digital is not ane to 1, going from digital to analog is though so in a broad full general sense PCM is a lossy compression algorithm itself). That data file is non very useful unless you know the parameters used by the PCM encoding then we use headers and containers for streaming/storage.

Wav, AIFF, FLAC, Ogg, mp3, DD, DTS, etc are all containers, some happen to exist more than just that such as FLAC, MPEG, DD, DTS (and others) which are besides a compression algorithm(some lossy, some lossless) and/or encoding scheme. When you play any of these formats, they all are converted to PCM data for the DAC to utilize. Yes, I know, you lot see fries that include DD/DTS decoding and they practice that, merely it is still a conversion to PCM data kickoff before converting to analog.

Pulse Code Modulation, the coded data stream that occurs when analog audio information is converted into digital signals. In the PCM data stream of the CD, the sampling rate is 44.1 kHz, i.e. during one second, the analog signal is sampled 44,100 times and converted into a digital value. For Dolby Digital the sampling frequency is 48 kHz, for DVD-Audio 96 kHz. The quantization (besides chosen resolution) indicates how many different digital values a betoken can be converted into. xvi-bit word width is standard for the CD. This allows 65,556 different audio data to be represented.

In the DVD-Audio standard, the resolution is 24 scrap. This allows 16.77 1000000 different pieces of information to be displayed, which is 256 times the fine resolution of the standard CD.

What Is LPCM: Linear Pulse Lawmaking Modulation

Linear Pulse Code Modulation = the uncompressed, linear PCM sound contained on the DVD. LPCM tin can be stored in different quantization or resolutions (sixteen bit, 20 bit or 24 bit) and in dissimilar sampling rates or sampling frequencies (48 kHz or 96 kHz).

What Is Bitstream

A sequence of digital data consisting of a string of $.25. For example, a satellite transponder transmits its digital Boob tube programs as a bitstream. The receiving system on globe converts the bitstream into viewable Goggle box programs. A DVD histrion outputs a bitstream at its sound-digital output.

PCM And LPCM Differences

Normal PCM, as in the sound CD sector, transmits upwardly to two channels. LPCM can transmit up to 8 channels.

Please do non lump PCM and LPCM together, fifty-fifty though they are both the same technology. MP2 is also not the same as MP3 fifty-fifty if they are the "same technology". There are several recording modes with different resolutions (viii, 12, 16, 20 and 24 fleck) and dissimilar sampling rates (32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, and 96kHz) for LPCM.

Playstation Specific Case For Bitstream And PCM

This is the question that all owners of a dwelling cinema system with an AV receiver and console like PS4 are asking themselves: PCM vs Bitstream? What that actually is and which setting delivers the better sound is revealed here.

Let us imagine the post-obit setup: The PlayStation four is continued to the AV receiver via HDMI cable, the AV receiver is also connected to the telly via HDMI and a v.one box fix is connected to the AV receiver.

In the sound settings of the PS4, the user can now choose between Linear PCM and DTS (Bitstream) and Dolby Digital (Bitstream). If PCM is selected, the PS4 takes over the audio decoding of the sound material and passes information technology to the AV receiver, which commonly outputs it to the speakers unchanged with the specified number of channels. And so if the PCM signal is stereo, the merely stereo will exist output. If the indicate is a 5.1 signal, 5.1 sound volition also come out.

If the PS4 is set to bitstream – regardless of the audio technology, for example, DTS or Dolby Digital – the PS4 passes the unprocessed bespeak to the AV receiver, which then takes over the sound decoding. Provided it too supports the sound codec assail the PS4.

PCM is therefore merely a specification that controls which device is used for decoding. The option depends on the quality of the individual devices – in this case on whether AV receivers or PS4s are better at decoding. In full general, however, the AV receiver is usually the better pick.

Afterwards all, it is designed for such cases. PCM is best suited to those who do non take an AV receiver and output the sound via the TV boxes. This also calls for PCM: If you want to output HD sound formats such as Dolby True Hard disk drive or DTS HD, only the AV receiver does not support them.

I am Bob. I piece of work as an audio engineer and audio technician. I work in mastering and arranging bridges in existing songs and the organisation and orchestration of the chorus. In Planet HiFi I exam gear for a couple of days and write a review. I also write about AV topics, amplifiers, speakers, and headphones.